Saliva, Sweating and Hypotension: Autonomic Dysfunction of Parkinson's Disease

Symptoms and Treatment Options

When we think of Parkinson's disease, we often associate the disease with the marked symptoms of resting tremors, complications with posture and abnormal gait. For many Parkinson's disease patients, the symptoms of the disease go well beyond these we see every day.

Complications of Parkinson's disease also involve those associated with cardiovascular complications and complications involving temperature control. Also known as autonomic complications, the patient who  suffers from Parkinson's disease experiences a gamut of autonomic complications, often independent of medication therapy.

One aspect of autonomic dysfunction, in the Parkinson's patient, is the development of a cardiovascular complication referred to as orthostatic hypotension. To suffer from this complication, the Parkinson's patient will experience a marked decrease in blood pressure, after standing up for five minutes following a period of lying down. In many cases, the Parkinson's patient is at risk for falls and injury due to the development of Parkinson's disease orthostatic hypotension.

Read the rest of this article